D: Disclaimed
Chapter Twenty-Eight
So much has happened in so little time, and watching my son walk across the living room floor was enough proof for me. With everything going on, I almost missed my own child's first steps, or his first words –everything would have been a loss for me if I hadn't slowed down and realized the one thing I was trying to protect, was growing up blindly before my eyes.
It gave me a lot to think about.
Going into this, there was a chance I could a miss a lot of Brody's firsts. But I had to. It didn't help that he advancing more than a normal child too most believe that it is his wolf genes kicking in. The quicker he grows, the more he'll be ready to take on his dad's role when the time is needed. For the first time in my life, I had to come up with a plan that would benefit Brody if I ever had to leave him. As much as it bothered me, I knew it needed to be done.
It wasn't easy discussing this with Jake either. I could never convince the wolf that he needed to stay behind, even if my life was taken during the process. He wouldn't allow it, if I were to go, so would he. As much as he may try, it was the way of our life. The imprint would take its toll. Which meant that we needed to make the best arrangements for Brody if we were ever to leave him behind.
We've discussed this with my grandparents and my grandparents as well as Sam and the rest of the pack. Sam of course would take on the alpha role once again until Brody was ready, and my grandpa Charlie and grandma Sue offered to step in until he was old enough to be around the rest of his family. Of course Seth would be with him no matter the circumstances. My heart fell heavy under the discussion. I couldn't bare the thought of every leaving my only son behind.
The topic upset a lot of us, especially my father. But he was put in the same situation and understood now where I was coming from. Him and my mother put their lives before me, and came back to see me grow up. They knew that this was something I needed to do in order to make sure that my legacy would never be forgotten.
It was heartwarming to hear that Seth, Tyler and even Paul promised to remind Brody just how brave his parents were. My only fear was that, if the time came, Brody wouldn't think that we were selfish to put him in this predicament. I didn't want him to hate us for giving up everything for him, especially the chance to get to know us.
But that was just possibility.
As much as it hurt for me to think of a life ending here, I focused on returning and making sure that this wasn't the end for us. Which is why I focused on my abilities once again. According to the tribe, the main reason for my abilities to reawaken was because of Jake. When I was a vampire, it was only plausible for me to already pick up on it, but because I was a human, I still had something to help me. The imprint. I was the alpha's imprint. And the one thing that had awakened a lot of my abilities because they were my enemy now assists me for the right reasons.
It was now my power to protect the pack.
Watching Brody interact with Jacob was precious. It was even more precious when he would run to my arms when Jake would play with him and chase him. I couldn't help but laugh every time he'd go run to his dad and push him around, only to run back to me for his safety. It was his way of reminding me just how much he needed me, and I all I could think of was how lucky I was to have him and Jacob.
The cat and mouse game lasted for about a half-an-hour before he begged 'pop' to quit, insisting that he was tired. Around this time I was preparing dinner for us as the day settled in. I watched from the kitchen as Brody curled up to Jacob as they both watch his favorite cartoon on the TV. I could only smile at the sight as they rocked back and forth.
"No, pop," I could hear him argue with Jake, "no."
"You're not tired son?"
"No." He shook his head as he stared at Jacob solemnly.
As I watched the pair, I noticed just how much Brody did remind me of Jacob. He had my curls, but he still looked a lot like Jake, and acted like him. Stubborn and very protective when it came to me. I couldn't wrestle Jacob with Brody getting mad at Jake for being mean to me in his eyes. No matter how much I tried to convince Brody that we were just playing, he would hold onto me and never let me go.
By the time dinner was ready, they both were at their own pace while I sat and pretty much watched. Even though Brody was still attached to his bottle, he still loved his applesauce and any other soft foods he could get his hands on. After we finished, Jake cleaned the kitchen while I gave Brody his bath before bed. I let him play with his toys for a bit as it gave me time to spend with him.
Though I got the feeling he sensed something was going to happen the next day. The more I thought about it, the more Brody held onto me, now hugging me and making me wet. I asked him what was wrong, but he just wiped his eyes and cooed like a baby would. I sat there in thought, wishing I could understand him at the moment, but something told me that I already knew.
I dried him off and dressed him in his nighty before rocking him his favorite chair as I sang to him. I hadn't noticed that Jacob was watching from the doorway until Brody called for him. Another thing that made me wonder was what exactly it would be that Brody might call me. He didn't exactly say anything when it came to me other than reaching his hands out to me and giving a whine. Jake was pop because that's what everyone called him to him. I was still unlabeled, and that was because of me.
"C'mere." Jake whispered as he pulled us up. I didn't argue as he sat down and pulled us both down with him to sit on his lap. This was something I never would have expected, and I didn't seem to be the only one enjoying the company. Thankfully the chair was big enough for the three of us. "Now I have both my babies with me." Jake chuckled.
"You're so corny." I teased.
"Well call me the corniest man ever because I am enjoying this moment."
"Me too."
He continued to hum the song that I stopped, me soon joining as Brody slowly closed his eyes as he laid with his belly on my chest. I was across Jake's lap so he could see the both of us, his one arm under us to hold us up while the other held mine on Brody's back.
"Jake?" I whispered.
"Hmmm…" he muffled.
"Are you afraid?" I asked nervously.
"I try not to be," he admitted, "especially for moments like these. I could never think of giving this up, and tomorrow is a crappy reminder that this could be the last time we can enjoy this."
"Were the Romanians that bad?" I asked unsure.
"I heard they were vengeful, and the moment we let the Volturi leave, they resented us for it." He sighed. "I just never thought that they would return to make our lives a living hell."
"Are you mad at me for my decisions?"
"Yes and no." He continued to rock the chair back and forth, "yes for the fact that I want you to stay here with Brody and raise him even if that meant I couldn't. No for the reasons that I can't stop you from doing what you believe in. But this is something that I need to understand, and that is you are just as protective over our family as I am. I couldn't stay behind if you asked me, and I shouldn't ask you to either. I can only promise that I will protect you out there so we can both can come home to this."
"I think we will." I replied, "I have no doubt that we won't get through this. If this is another test to our bond, then lets prove that we belong together. I will fight by your side and protect you just as you do the same."
"It will forever be my promise." He kissed my temple before continuing to hum, coincidently making both Brody and I fall asleep.
The next morning I hadn't realized that I was in our bed. Knowing Jake, he most likely moved the both of us and worried himself all night with things that could possibly go wrong. I wouldn't doubt that he hadn't got any sleep. I felt bad for him as I walked downstairs to find him sitting at the table with Sam and Paul, each bore a worried expression on their face.
There wasn't much said other than that they'd meet us at the manor while we made our way up for the rescue. I did the best I could as I found myself racing to Jake and hugging him with everything I had. Whether I was ready to fall apart or just lose it, I wanted Jacob there to calm me down. I wanted today to be over on good terms. I wanted to see tomorrow and the next day without another worry to face.
Jake felt the same way too. He wouldn't let me go as he held onto me, kissing my cheek and wiping the tears that were falling down my face. We shared the emotions, and I knew that it would eventually affect us emotionally, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be this soon. But the tears kept flowing until I could hear Brody cry.
I did as I usually did and wiped the tears away before making my way to the nursery with Jake in toe. Brody was wide-awake and most likely hungry. By that time, my family had begun showing up as they promised. First my grandparents, Charlie and Sue, then Seth, then my parents, each of us ignoring the fact that today was a day of chaos, and hoping that it was just another day.
With breakfast finished and everyone turning to the subject of us heading out, things began to get emotional. My parents were the first to hug me.
"Take care of each other please?" My mother pleaded. We both nodded.
"I'm only staying behind for my grandson." My father informed me once again, "but if I sense something going wrong, I won't hesitate to go and find you and bring you home."
I knew I couldn't argue with him anymore. This was his promise. If that meant he had to leave my mom and Seth to watch over everyone, then we'd have faith that it was enough. I just prayed it would never come to those terms.
My grandparents bid us a safe journey as well as prayers to find peace, it was just who they were. Seth was the last to hug us along with Brody. I begged Seth to never let Brody feel unsafe, to make sure that he knew how much we love him. Seth, with his upbeat personality was the only one sure that we'd be back before dinnertime and everything would be okay.
"Just think of it as a day trip." He smirked. "Pretend that it's just another thing we deal with everyday and come home so Brody can see his dad's before bed time."
"You're right." Jake agreed as he hugged his friend. "Just a day trip. We've taken out leeches before."
"Just promise to be safe." I begged the guy, "and I'll promise to come back."
"Already done."
The mission was dangerous. We all knew it. But we knew if we stuck to the plan and to expect the unexpected, than we'd be fine. Alice and I were the only ones that knew the location of the place thanks to my father, and we all made the plan that we'd go in line formations one after the other.
The first would be me, Jake, Alice, Jasper, Rose, Emmett, Quil and Embry. It would be decided that aunt Alice and uncle Jasper would go ahead to find the cellar to free Nahuel and his mate while we reached out to seek the Romanians. The second line consisted of my grandparents Carlisle and Esme, Sam, Leah, Jared, Benjamin and his mate, and the Denalis. They would keep guard from afar just in case something happened randomly.
Paul and the rest of the pack joined up with the visiting pack that came to help rescue their pack mate as well as the wolf's mate, Nahuel. They would cover the borderlines to make sure that once they had entered the perimeters, none would escape. It all seemed to be a great plan, but something told me that the Romanians weren't working alone with this.
As paced closer and closer to our location, I continued to remind myself that as long as I could find and tap into any vampire's abilities, then I'd be okay. Especially if uncle Emmett was close by, I at least knew that speed would be with my strength, the one thing I depended on.
Aunt Rose promised to stay as close to me as Jake did. I was precious cargo according to everyone. We knew then that they seeked out my abilities. It wasn't something that we were unsure of anymore. They wanted me to build their army. If they get me, they get Jake and our son, then they would conquer the pack as well as those who would be enslave just because of me. Once they had me, we'd all be in trouble.
"Something's not right?" I warned the others. "Keep your senses aware of any suspicions, something tells me that the Romanians aren't alone on this."
With the bit of snow on the ground and the fog that seemed to be closing in, I was sure that this was the beginning of something big. I scanned our surroundings as we moved in closer, now sliding off of Jake's back and walking by his side cautiously.
"Emmett and Rose will stay close to you both," aunt Alice informed, "Jasper and I will race to the cellar to free the others. If I'm correct, Vladimir and Stefan should be hovering close by, check the trees seeing how they like to use that as a strategy."
We nodded as we watched them quickly depart.
I could feel my adrenaline pick up as we moved closer. My heart began to race as I continued to scan the surroundings, knowing we needed to find the duo that could destroy us if we weren't careful. Jake moved in closer to me knowing how I was feeling, him too feeling the worry I felt.
"Stay close to Jake." Uncle Emmett demanded. "We won't let any of those bastards near you."
As assuring as his words might be, I knew that even he could be in some serious danger if something went wrong, we needed to be focused, we needed to be on guard and prepared for any surprise attacks that may occur. But something still bothered me and reminded me that I should really follow my gut. I was in fact correct when the silhouettes of two beings fell to the opposite sides of each other, surrounding us from front to back.
"Stefan!" Aunt Rose muttered.
"Vladimir!" Uncle Emmett seethed.
"Carlisle's spawn…" one of the vampires mocked, "It's a pleasure to be reacquainted."
"What do you want heathen?" Aunt Rose hissed, now standing guard in front of me.
"It doesn't concern you." The other vampire spoke, now appearing as an older brunette, pale dressed in cloak and boots. "Where is Carlisle?"
At the moment, Carlisle and Esme made their appearance with the Denali coven next to them. Tanya and Kate stood with smirks, never looking intimidated. Eleazar and his mate seemed a bit more in regards to the danger of the situation. My grandparents stood next to me now, both concerned for my safety, as I knew they would. I knew since Benjamin would be great virtue, he most likely stayed behind with the wolves.
"Ah, Carlisle," the blonde vampire spoke, "how wonderful it is for you make an appearance. I was beginning to worry that you might cower once more."
"Speak your terms Vladimir." My grandfather spoke, "then leave."
"Oh I'm afraid that an invitation won't be needed for this invasion." The older vampire spoke, now moving closer. "We came for what is rightfully ours."
"What about a compromise?" My grandmother insisted.
"There was never a need for that." Vladimir replied, "You see, unlike the Volturi, we refuse to step down, especially knowing that your seer's predictions are inaccurate."
"What makes you think that Alice's visions are flawed?" Aunt Rose spoke with anger, "she's been able to break through the loopholes several times."
"She still can't see his kind." Stefan, the leader pointed at Jacob. "And now that we've found a solution to walk in here with your fortune teller being blinded, we've found the perfect solution to not only take over your covens, but now we'll be strong enough to take down the Volturi and claim the power that belongs to us."
"Nahuel!" I muttered. "His mate is the key to this all."
"Of course you could decipher the missing links." Stefan now looked my way, "you are in fact the proof we needed to make these assumptions. Now that we have an army building, we can easily surpass whatever plan you have." He let out an evil chuckle.
"I hardly doubt it." Uncle Emmett shook with anticipation. "There's no way you're getting to my nephew while I'm still standing."
"Awe!" Vladimir guffawed. "So you do get it."
"Please, Stefan, Vladimir," my grandfather spoke, "there must be a solution to this all. You must know by now that Aro and his guards must have continued to build there army as we speak, if you want to risk your own existence, you can't expect us to hand over my grandson and his mate without reaching some sort of agreement."
"I've had enough of this chatter." Vladimir sighed in annoyance, "let's finish this Stefan."
"You see Carlisle," Stefan continued. "Whether you believe we can reach a compromise, we don't need it. We will leave what we came here for, whether it be by force."
"Then I will join you." Grandpa negotiated.
"I will too." Grandma added.
"We couldn't find them." Aunt Alice informed as she returned by our side, "something's not right."
Both vampire's roared with laughter. "It is a bonus for you to offer your services Carlisle, but you see…" At that moment, the guard surrounding me collapsed to their knees before falling into shrieks of pain and some in what seemed to be deadweights. "we hardly need your assistance." Stefan began to approach me with his piercing eyes, "imagine how delighted we were when two of our old friends came to us with a proposal."
"What's going on?" I shouted.
"It seems your family failed to mention the two powerful vampires that can cause severe pain as well as taking away all feeling in anyone's body." The man smirked. "Jane! Alec!" As he commanded the names, two vampires made their appearance through the dark fog, both focused on us, "retrieve the hybrid and the wolf while we take care of them."
In a blink of an eye, the boy easily tossed Jake over his shoulder like he was a ragdoll. The girl grabbed my arm and began to pull me with her just as everyone began to release from what seemed to be the boy and girl's hold. I watched in horror as I looked back and watched the two vampires attack my family one by one.
"LET ME GO!" I shrieked as I attempted to pull my arm free.
"Now why would I do such a thing?" She replied with a smirk, now staring at me with her glare. My body began to feel jolts of pain run through my body, like spikes dragging through my veins, fire burning my skin, bones throbbing as if they were bending, almost breaking, then all of it disappearing instantly. "Now keep your mouth shut before I make it worse."
"Jake!" I screamed as his massive wolf form was still being carried over the boys shoulder. "Wake up."
"It's no use kid." The girl continued to drag me, "his senses are numbed, we'll come back to retrieve his pack once you both realize you will never escape."
I was panicking now. I couldn't help but believe that I failed. I could hear the screams as well as the shouts of the fight far behind us. I had no clue to where the duo was taking us, but I knew I needed to escape. I had to get my head on right, and I had to find a way to at least tap into one of these vampire's abilities. Everyone has their own trigger and everyone has their own purpose, I just needed to discover theirs.
We arrived at a campsite of some sort. A huge wall tent stood in the middle of nowhere. I came to a surprise to find that Nahuel and his wolf were there, contained in chains on the opposite sides of the small camp; looking exhausted and weak.
The wolf had a muzzle over his massive head with chains wrapped around his torso and around to his back in what seemed like small spikes that looked as if they were digging into his bloody fur. Nahuel was on the opposite side with a collar around his neck with spikes inside that caused him to bleed if it was yanked on. It was a gruesome sight to see him so weak, it looked as if he hadn't fed for days. I couldn't understand why they needed the pair if they were torturing and starving them. Were they being punished for disobeying the vampire's?
"You will join the mutt and his mate." Jane informed, "if you're smart, you won't make the attempt to escape, otherwise, Alec will have no problem killing your wolf."
She shoved me to the ground before disappearing into the tent. I sat frustrated as I glanced over to Nahuel who looked defeated. Alec was across from us with a smirk on his face. Fog permeated from his palm's as he kept Jake and the other wolf under his deadly spell. It was disturbing to see both wolves twitching as they remain motionless, both breathing heavily and uneven. I wanted so bad to go after the vampire and show him just what he was doing, but I would need to find his center in order for it to take effect, and I knew that I couldn't do it in time before Jane returned.
Interrupted from my thoughts, Jane appeared from the tent with chains that matched Nahuel's. But before returning to me, she tossed the other shackles over to Alec that would trap Jacob. I inched back as she moved closer, only for her to yank my arm for me to stand as she began to clamp the cuffs on one of my wrists.
"It's a shame you couldn't easily hand over your brat, otherwise we wouldn't have to waste time killing the others to retrieve him." She mocked as she attempted to click the lock in place.
"What did you say?" I exasperated.
"The pup." She chuckled evilly as her brother joined her, her fiery eyes meeting mine. "He'll be a great addition to our army once he recruits his pack when he gets older."
Just like a switch, anger took over me and all I could see was the rage building inside of me. My body shook with fury. My fists clenched as I tried my best to focus. Then it clicked. It was her anger and revenger that always got the best of her, the same thing I felt the moment she spoke of threatening my son's life.
"Oh did I upset the little human?" She continued to mock as she began to unlock the collar and wrap it around my neck.
Without hesitation, I quickly reached up to her shoulders and stared into her eyes as I dug deep into her sub-conscience, reaching the core and trigger to her abilities. I knew if I could do it with any of my family, then I would make her feel the pain she continues to inflict on others.
Anger. Betrayal.
Everything that triggered her deathly abilities was everything I was feeling. Right before my eyes she collapsed to the ground screaming in agony. I wanted her to feel all the pain she inflicted on everyone she had ever met, any being she had ever harmed. She was going to feel the intensity of my wrath if that meant I would grow weak because of it.
She stared at me in fear as she could feel the same agony she had caused. Her partner began to panic as he began to permeate fog from his hands, now pushing it towards me.
"JAKE!" I shouted, as I stayed focused on the girl.
It took a moment before Jake was able to regain his stature, now jumping to his feet and attacking the boy who tried to harm me. As I kept my focus on the girl as she continued to scream in pain, Jake grasped his jaw around the vampire's neck and snapping his neck, the vampire's head now rolling across the ground and landing next to the girls sight. I pulled back and lessened the pain as I spoke to my furious mate.
"She threatened the life of our son."
My expectations were for Jacob to finish her off because I knew I wouldn't have the strength to pull her apart, but something in me wouldn't let me set her free. Her body wriggled as she tried to escape my grasp, but I squeezed tighter as I continued to inflict pain. I could see the fear in her expressions and feel the satisfaction as she cried for me to stop, but the more she begged, the power intensified until I realized her solid skin began to crack before me. With one last blow, I lifted her with one hand tightly gripped around her neck with the other on her shoulder as I slammed her body into the forest's floor, shattering her body into pieces. With the power released, I found myself falling back as I pulled away, realizing just what I had done. I ridded one of the Volturi's strongest guards, and I never wanted to feel the anger that I had at the moment I had ended her existence.
I had to catch my breath and my composure just as Jacob lit the remains.
"Seb?" Jake was now in his naked form as he raced to me, "are you okay love?"
"Yeah," I panted, "we need to burn the remains and get back to battle, I fear that something might have gone wrong."
"What about them?" He glanced over towards Nahuel and the wolf.
"They're innocent." I replied, "all they ask is their freedom."
"Please." Nahuel weakly spoke. "We mean no harm, I assure you."
As Jake began to try and pull the chains off the prisoners, I began to search the tent for the keys. When I entered the tent though, I came to a surprise and the missing link that I seemed to have the bad feeling about. Pictures hung on the board sitting on the one table next to rest of their weapons.
They were all newborns. Most with abilities that could be useful for them. Duplication. Camouflage. Ice Manipulation. Banshee. All female and barely exposed to our kind and starved for human blood, they wanted them to be close to indestructible. I couldn't help but panic as I quickly grabbed the keys and raced outside.
"We may be too late." I mumbled as I raced over to unlock Nahuel from his collar.
"What do you mean?" Jake asked now mirroring my expression.
"The newborns." Nahuel choked out, now grabbing the keys and offering to unlock his mate's chains, "they trained them to attack those who stand in their way for the one thing they've been craving the moment they transitioned. Blood."
"But why?" Jake asked.
"For one reason only." Nahuel hugged his mate as she phased back to her human form.
"You're imprinted to a she-wolf?" I questioned confused.
"But that's impossible." Jake added, "they said you were imprinted by male."
"It's okay sweetheart." Nahuel hugged the woman. "Just like you and your wolf, we became as a rarity since there had only one other she-wolf known in your pack. Her name is Jade, and she's been helping me transition back into my human form, but unfortunately, since we had been captured, our captors have been feeding me blood and keeping me as I was so that I could feed the newborns that they created."
"But why your blood?" I asked.
"They starved them to destroy those who stood in their way, promising them that they could feed off of the reservation in order to force the wolves to join their army as well. So once the battle is over, they are going after your people." He looked at my fiancé. "My blood is strong enough to sedate them until then, and it also has the effect for them to crave human blood more than they should."
"Let's go." I nodded and hopped on Jake's back as he phased in a blink of an eye.
"Wait!" Nahuel said. "There are a few things you should know before you enter the battlefield."
"Like what?" Both Jake and I stared at the man impatiently.
"You need to understand that they are a force to be reckoned with."
"What?"
"I've only heard of your abilities, and I can see that your human, but something tells me that everything still applies to you." He continued. "You absorb others abilities, and not only did you use Jane's, but you killed her with her own abilities."
"What are you getting at Nahuel?" I asked frustrated.
"He ability now belongs to you, and you need to learn to control it before it controls you." He explained. "As long as you know the trigger to it, you should be able to handle it, and continue to practice to keep it at bay at the right times."
"Does it happen every time I use anothers ability on them?"
"Only if you destroy them." He paused, "but you don't want to absorb more than you can handle."
"Umm…" I glanced at Jacob with a bit of worry before he nuzzled me to let me know that I would be okay. "Thanks. How do you know all of this?"
"Why do you think they wanted you?" He asked, "They knew just how much of a virtue you'd be to the army as well as the leadership. They were going to put you in charge of all the packs."
With everything being explained, I knew time was already being wasted. I hopped on Jake's back just as we made our way to the battle. To hear what I was capable of, and now of what I can do thanks to Jane, it worried me a little. I would especially need to learn to control this around Brody if needed. I could never forget myself if I ever hurt him.
We were now getting closer to the battle, I could hear the shouts getting louder and in my sight was the one vampire trying to escape, the one vampire I wanted nothing more than to destroy. With a quick response, I was now on the ground in front of the pale face as he stared at me with fear.
"I feared you'd conquer." He spoke softly, "but somehow I knew we'd fail."
"Enough of this chatter." I recalled his words before focusing on the one thing that still bothered my anger, my revenge and me. Just as the vampire collapsed to the forest floor, both Jacob and Jade pulled Vladimir in half and finished the job before racing forward.
"Are you ready for this?" I turned to Nahuel.
"Are you kidding?" The man chuckled, "I've been waiting for this moment."
"Well I have the abilities, you have your strength," I added, "what do you say we go after that wretched vampire that keeps screaming?"
"Just lead the way!"
A/N: I really hope you guys review. It took me forever to update since the last chapter only received a few reviews. But I do thank the ones who had. So please, review and I will assure you that I will get the next chapter up as soon as I can.
Shout outs to lytebrytehybrid88, , BurnedSpy, and mulii611.
Much Love,
TurnItUp03